Ryan Bradley
1) Anderson, N.G. (2010). School arts programs range from four star to nonexisitent. Gotham Gazette,Retrieved from http://69.20.65.189/article/arts/20100205/1/3175

Anderson approaches this from the point of view that things are going positively since appropriate funding has been introduced into the School Systems. She speaks of a class that will be introducing the use of guitar to teach the history of music through different time periods. An idea that has been an option to help share funding for a core subject with an art subject such as music. This authors view remains optimistic until the discussion of budget cuts comes into play speaking about the fear that cuts next year will deal a devastating blow to the arts.This offers insight into how funding can be shared despite the arts not receiving proper funding.

The idea of offering an art and core subject being taught together is one that can possibly work depending on the material being exposed. The idea of using a guitar to explain the music of different cultures is a interesting one and one that could potentially work. Funding may not be appropriate areas but if the teacher has a strong enough drive to teach students fundamental subjects with art mixed in the results can be very positive.

2) Education Resource Information Center, Education Commission of the Staes. (2006). State policymakers' views on the arts in education(ED493717). Denver, CO: Education Commission of the State. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED493717.pdf

This articles main approach is centered around why the arts should become a greater priority in school but offeres insight into why the lack of funding is so apparent within the arts programs. The senators repeatedly make comments as to why the arts fall short due to the importance being stressed on the "core" subjects. The arts take the backseat throughout this article when talked about in relationship to the core subjects. The senators thoughtfully admit throughout the article that the arts should have a greater priority established but continue to place the importance on the "core" subjects.

Although this article focuses greatly on why arts need to become more of a priority the focus can be shifted towards how this greatly affects the funding of schools. Although the schools do receive some funding for their arts programs, if they're lucky, the core subjects are receiving a larger funding, sometimes funding that goes to waste. This ignorance to the arts can be blamed on the core subjects taking away interest in the arts; therefore, allowing the arts to not receive adequate funding.

3) Kolodner, Meredith. (2010). Rip their art out. city kids lose out as s lose out as funding for supplies falls by 68% in public schools. New York Daily News, (8), Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic Database

Kolodners approach to why the Arts have a lack of funding goes straight to the Education Department. She starts her brief article by letting everyone know "It's Not a Pretty Picture". Kolodner than states many different statistics which show the troubling image for Art Education such as the dropping number of high school students taking 3 or more art courses. She places the blame on the Education Departments priority being shifted towards State Mandated test scores which ultimately leave the funding for arts in a back corner to collect dust. Kolodner quotes the Department head saying "We firmly believe that the investment in licensed teachers of arts is where schools should be headed" but debates the meaning in questioning where the cuts are going to come from when the budget fails.

Kolodners article presents strong statistical data that the Arts have no been on the rise but actually declining. The amount of high school students not taking three or more courses has dropped drastically from 2007 to 2010 and even those more high schools are offering the state required two semesters of arts programs, they are still not receiving adequate enough guidance to possibly explore other career options. The idea that lack of attention to the arts stems from the focus being directed towards state testing was a valid point and on that proves even more thats the arts are being forgotten about.

4) Mandell, Jonathan. (2005). Arts education. Arts, Retrieved from http://69.20.65.189/article/arts/20051129/1/1663
Mandell brings this article to life by first commenting on a quote from a Principal who shoots down the art class she is watching by dismissing it while snidely saying "Much can be accomplished in 60 minutes." This quote comes from a Broadway play and in a whole is not based on real events but most importantly encompasses the fight and lack of understanding supporters of the arts are up against. Mandell takes this idea and stretches it throughout his article basing that the lack of funding comes from the main idea that Arts are a "frill", and are not needed as a mandatory subject nor are they understood. Throughout the article Mandell reinforces that the lack of funding of arts comes from school administrators not understanding the necessity of arts with interviews with individuals such as Sharon Dunn who is 2005 was newly in charge of the New York City's art education. Dunn agreed that with the Bloomberg administration steps were being taken to improve funding of the arts and had asserted a "Blueprint of the Arts", a four tier program offering 5 different level of art comprehension within each tier. These steps appealed to crowds early on but were than thought to be moving to slowly, Eva Moskowitz, chair of the council's education committee, stated that she was more likely to have great-grandchildren before she ever saw progress.
This article strongly supports that the lack of funding is directly stemming from the lack of knowledge of the arts. The idea that arts are being dismissed often due to the fact that people don't understand can't be seen as a lack of understanding due to a lack of participation, participation that possibly didn't occur in the childhood of the non-supporters for the same reasons it's not occurring in today's society, lack of funding. The idea of progress being made too slowly is a good point to bring up but there is a positive aspect of this, being that actual steps are being made towards the betterment of the arts programs through an increase in funding rather than pushing it aside for someone else to deal with in the future.
5) Massie, J. (2004). Debating Options for when the Arts Get the Squeeze. Teaching Artist Journal, 2(2), 115-116. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
This articles approach to inadequate funding is placed on improper usage of funds. Specific examples are cited in regards to certain Shool districts slashing art funds from California to New York. The solution suggested is that arts be incoperated into other core subjects such as reading and math. Massie suggests that instead of slashing schools arts programs completely to still provide funding but to than incoperate it into other subjects so that the students can still receive the education they are entitled to. Other solutions discussed range from finding other places to cut funding and to seek private funding.
This article discusses the reason funding for arts is such a topic of debate but takes it another step further to discuss solutions. This is very well done but suggests that subjects be combined which can be seen as solving very little but causing a larger scale problem. Combining arts with english could polute what some schools are already struggling to meet the requirements in. Rather than combining subjects the idea to share the funding would seem to allow better results without contaminating another subject
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